Our ASCENT Seed Funding supports social care staff and practitioners in public, private, and third-sector organisations to build their research capacity by developing skills to conduct research and use evidence in practice at the individual level.
Between 2024 and 2026, the ASCENT Programme ran three Seed Funding calls, open to staff across adult and children’s social care services, with a focus on reaching underrepresented professional groups. Eligible applicants could request up to £4,000 for research activities, training, or small-scale projects.
Over the two years, ten individuals were awarded funding to:
- Attend research training (e.g., statistics, ethics, research methods)
- Deliver small-scale research projects, such as evaluating the impact of mentorship on retention and wellbeing of children’s social workers, developing co-produced feedback processes with adults using social care services, and exploring the experiences of kinship carers.
The programme broadened its scope from research training to include service development and small-scale research projects, enhancing skills and research capacity across the sector.
Next Call
During ARC2 (2026–31), Seed Funding opportunities will continue, helping social care staff and practitioners initiate or advance their research careers.
Future calls will be announced on our website and you can sign up for the ARC East of England Newsletter to stay updated. Sign up here.